Soul Calibur Legends
by Imperius Rex
Summary: This is the story of Siegfried Schtauffen. Yep. The whole thing. This is gonna be a REALLY long one...
1. Prologue

Prologue

WHEN man has something taken away from him, and is forced to realize his weakness, man will seek to obtain power. The evil sword, Soul Edge, rumored to be like the Holy Grail or the Philosopher's stone. The holy sword, Soul Calibur, created solely to destroy Soul Edge and cast its evil away forever.

These two swords always linger in the shadows when man truly seeks to acquire power. In the 16th century, three desired this power: Sultan Barbaros, of the Ottoman Empire, seeking to conquer the world and rule it in eternity. Masked Emperor, of the Holy Roman Empire, seeking to protect his people from all that threaten them… and one other… a boy, who had lost everything. This is a story of those three lives and the two swords. Chosen by history, a man shall become a hero. Engraved into history, a hero becomes a legend.


	2. Evil Sword Soul Edge

Chapter 1:

**Evil Sword Soul Edge**

**Kingdom of Spain**

**Outskirts of Granada**

_Following rumors he'd heard about the cursed sword Soul Edge, Siegfried found himself led aboard a grounded pirate ship._

Siegfried opened yet another door. There seemed to be no end to this maze. He brushed his long blonde hair out of his sea-blue eyes. Just another wasted day, searching for power he could never obtain.

Siegfried sighed. Sometimes, he thought that this search just wasn't worth it anymore. But when he looked back on his past, he knew that this search was his destiny. He would follow rumors of the cursed sword to the ends of the earth if need be. He opened another door, and took a swift look around. Nothing but another door. He shook his head, but continued walking.

The armor was starting to weigh down on him. He was having trouble walking, and stumbled from time to time. The armor was steel, with gold designs running along the breastplate and arms. There was no helmet, its having been destroyed long ago in a fight he didn't wish to remember.

He opened the door, and found himself in a room that was a little bigger than the others. The wood of the ship was moldy and rotted in places. A portion of the wall had caved in, shining light on a pile of old, wet wood.

And there it was. Almost like an ironic sign from heaven, the light from the wall shone down on this exact spot. On this exact sword, thrust into the pile of rotting wood and most likely the deck beneath it as well. All of his doubts were suddenly erased. He had found it. Soul Edge was his.

He strode quickly forward, his face neutral, but on the inside, eager to take his prize.

He stopped, and got a good look at the sword up close. It was quite fearsome, with a wickedly sharp blade, and an abnormal growth along the side. There was what appeared to be a closed eye, with brown skin, in the center of the sword. Rust had crept up the blade, and an old cloth was wound around the hilt's guard.

"So, this is Soul Edge," Siegfried said, a little disappointed.

He took a step further, so that he was on the mound and within easy grasp of Soul Edge. His hand moved up, slowly, as if someone might see and deem him unworthy, and was about to touch the hilt when he heard a voice.

"I've been waiting for you," the voice said. The speaker had a deep, gravelly voice that sounded somehow ominous.

Siegfried looked around the room, but saw no one. He looked up, into the hole in the wall, but no one is there. Then, realization dawned on him. He looked down, and saw that the eye on Soul Edge is open, alert, and looking right at him. Where the eye should be white, it was red, and there was no color in the center, just a large black slanted pupil, like that of a snake.

"This voice, is it you?" Siegfried asked cautiously. As if in answer, a red light began to emanate from the eye.

"Draw me out, and I shall grant you ultimate power," Soul Edge said.

"'Ultimate power?'" Siegfried asked the sword, somewhat disbelieving.

"Yes. Ultimate power," Soul Edge was fully active now, and swirls of red energy were revolving around it. "The power to overcome the fear of loss. If there is something you've lost, something you don't want to lose, then take me in your hands!"

Siegfried could feel the power, see the energy coursing through Soul Edge now, but he also felt a great evil. His hands moved toward the hilt, but faltered. As much as he had dreamed of this moment, he was hesitant to release the evil he could sense lived inside the sword, the evil that granted the sword power.

He looked down for a moment, as if considering something, and then nodded, new determination in his eyes. He grabbed Soul Edge's hilt with both hands and easily pulled it out of the rubble.

He swung Soul Edge around, testing its balance, and was surprised when he could easily wield it in one hand. The sword was at least 5 feet long, and at least 6 inches wide. Despite the rust, it had a sharpness to it that allowed it to slice through the air with a precision Siegfried hadn't thought possible with a sword. Satisfied, he thrust Soul Edge into the air. There was an ominous glowing, and Siegfried stopped, wondering what it was. It was probably nothing. He saw some barrels and walked over to them, slicing them perfectly in half with one sweep of the sword.

Smiling, he saw a passage out of the room, and just walked down it, happy to cause damage to the old barrels along the way. He soon found himself in a room full of skeletons.

Siegfried frowned. These were the first bodies he'd seen all day. Soul Edge glowed ominously, and red sparks danced across the floor to the bodies. The skeletons jolted. Then _they stood up._

Each grabbed an old sword that had been lying nearby, and circled him. He was quickly surrounded by undead. With four expert sweeps of the sword, the skeletons collapsed.

Siegfried's frown deepened. He had fought larger creatures, but it seemed as if the skeletons had been brought to life by the jolt. Siegfried quickly dismissed that. The light and the sparks were probably to warn him of their attack. Yes, that had to be it. Soul Edge had no reason to betray him.

He walked on down the hall, and found a similar room. Corpses included. But these were already walking towards him, before he reached the room. He rushed at them, and two fell with lightening strokes of Soul Edge. He felt a hard hit from behind, and fell to his knees, turning just in time to see a skeleton ready to decapitate him. Acting purely on instinct, he thrust upward, but Soul Edge began to glow and all of the enemies fell, their bones crushed. Siegfried was now completely confused.

He walked on, and saw a staircase leading up. Perfect. He followed it up, walking slowly, and looking around as he turned the corner into the open area. The scene looked empty at first, with fog surrounding the bow of the ship, and a gangplank heading down.

Siegfried headed toward the gangplank, but a blue glow formed a wall. He touched it, and it rewarded him with an armor-jolting electric shock. Panting, he collapsed to one knee.

He turned, searching for another way out, but instead saw an old pirate's corpse, turned blue with time. In its hands were two swords, a regular rapier in the left, and a red sword resembling a flame in the other. The corpse was glowing the same blue as the wall.

Slowly, the corpse started to stand up. The light seemed to be reviving it. But, this one seemed somehow more… alive than the others. It yanked it's swords out of the ground, and staggered forward, gaining strength.

"I won't let you…" the pirate took a half-step forward, "have…" he seemed to be summoning energy, "Soul Edge!" He waved both of his swords, freeing him from the blue light, completely revived.

Soul Edge buzzed in Siegfried's hands, and Siegfried ran forward. The pirate seemed to block all of Siegfried's attacks rather easily, and hit him with the flat of his blade whenever there was an opening, which only infuriated Siegfried further. With a roar, he charged the pirate, his rage somehow summoning a hidden ability within Soul Edge. The pirate suffered a direct hit, but still stood.

There was a flash of blades, and Siegfried felt the red sword at his throat. The sword itself seemed to be burning with fire. Using lightning reflexes he never even knew he had, he knocked the sword from the pirate's hands. The pirate seemed furious at this, and rushed Siegfried with a roar. But Siegfried was ready for this. He easily countered, slicing the pirate across the back twice. The pirate grabbed his other sword and turned, only to be hit by an upward strike that sent him staggering backwards.

The pirate fell to one knee, sinking his red sword into the deck of the ghost ship.

"Do you even understand… what that evil sword is?" the pirate asked Siegfried, then chuckled. "You will soon learn what happens to those who are ensnared… by the power of Soul Edge! Errgh!" His last statement seemed to take all of his remaining energy, and he fell onto his back, his rapier in hand, his red sword thrust into the ground beside him, and was still.

Siegfried was silent, and lowered his guard. Suddenly, Soul Edge tried to leap out of Siegfried's hand, vibrating with energy. It took all of Siegfried's power to control the sword. It began to glow a dark red, and was soon shining with a kind of evil glee.

"At long last, I have found my host!" Soul Edge declared victoriously. With much effort, Siegfried tried unsuccessfully to control the power, but the electricity which was by now bouncing off of Soul Edge was too much. With a cry, he thrust Soul Edge into the air, releasing all of its energy.

The light emanating from Soul Edge grew into a large pillar that covered the world. The mysterious monsters that emerged from that light spread throughout the world in an instant. They hunted men, and destroyed kingdoms. People called those monsters "Evils" and feared the light that had birthed them, calling it "The Evil Seed". On that day, the natural laws that governed the world changed forever. Mankind was forced to battle its mortal enemy, the Evil. This is how our story begins.


	3. Pyrenees Trail

Chapter 2:

**Pyrenees Trail**

_Siegfried was enveloped by the Evil Seed, but he was saved by a group sent to investigate it by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Masked Emperor. He was taken to the imperial capital, the city of Vienna, where he was kept in a royal suite until the traces of evil from the Evil Seed had left him. During the entire time, he refused to take Soul Edge out of its sheath on the back of his armor._

_On his sixth month, he was deemed fit to have audience with His Majesty, the Masked Emperor, and was fetched by a high-ranking captain named Michael._

_At the same time, the army of the Ottoman Empire, comprised of Evils and led by Sultan Barbaros, was breaking through the imperial borders in an attempt to close in on Vienna._

Siegfried walked beside the snide officer, rolling his eyes. This jerk had absolutely no respect for anyone but the Emperor and himself.

"I don't understand. What could the Emperor be thinking?" Michael went on as they strode down illustrious carpeted hallways, with expensive-looking tapestries hung on the walls. "Even I am not allowed to disobey his orders."

"I never signed up to fight for the Empire," Siegfried said for the thirtieth time.

"Why does the Emperor rely on someone like you?" Michael went on, blatantly ignoring Siegfried. "He should just leave everything to us. We're here."

Siegfried stopped walking. Two large, ornate mahogany doors rose from the floor to the ceiling, easily 30 feet in the air. Two soldiers guarded the door, dressed in regular guard armor. Each wielded a long lance and a short, curved sword. They opened the doors for them.

Inside was a large room, stone bricks making up the smooth floor, ceiling, and walls. A single red woven rug ran the length of the room, up to a series of short steps. On the top of these steps sat a large chair, and in the chair was sitting a man wearing a suit of armor not unlike the guards'.

The man was wearing a mask, made of silver and completely expressionless. A large ornate helmet adorned his head.

Siegfried walked in, his face expressionless, and stood at the foot of the stairs.

"So, have you changed your mind, Siegfried?" the Emperor asked, looking almost bored with him already. The Emperor stood up, as if to make himself look as imposing as Siegfried imagined he must be, with his suit of armor and Soul Edge on his back. The metal mask which gave him his name seemed almost wicked in the glint of the torch and sunlight.

"I'm grateful for your help, but I'm not taking orders from you," Siegfried said, staying impassive as ever.

The Masked Emperor made a small _hmph_ and cocked his head. Then there was a large explosion, and the entire castle began to rumble loudly. Siegfried and the Masked Emperor almost lost their footing, but stayed standing.

"No. That can't be…" The Masked Emperor said, and then ran for a small entrance to a balcony Siegfried hadn't noticed before. Siegfried ran after him.

They stopped at the edge of the balcony, and looked in awe. The Masked Emperor said one name:

"Barbaros."

Sultan Barbaros was enormous, standing 500 feet tall, with brown skin and hair splayed out over his head. He wore a crown of fire, and had large spikes coming out of his neck and shoulders. Huge horns came out of his forehead, and his eyes had rolled up into the back of his head, making him look completely insane.

Large arrows flew at him from all sides, and exploded on impact, but only succeeded with angering him. He swiped at a large row of crossbows, and they and their archers were demolished on impact. He stepped on a large castle, and the entire thing was destroyed instantly, the soldiers either dead or being killed by the Evils that had swarmed over the rubble.

"New Guns fortress has fallen," Masked Emperor muttered ominously. "This is what came of your reluctance."

Siegfried looked at the carnage, probably 2 or 3 hundred miles away, and still saw Barbaros as enormous. He couldn't believe it, but the Masked Emperor was right. This was his fault.

"Our empire is in extreme peril," Masked Emperor said urgently. "We have only two months left at the most!"

_Our? We? He doesn't mean me, does he?_

"It is mortifying that we, an emperor, need to rely on a mere soldier like you. But we have no choice." The Masked Emperor had more in common with Michael than Siegfried originally thought.

"I don't care what happens to the Empire," Siegfried said indifferently. "All I want- all I need, is the power to protect what is mine."

"We understand," The Emperor said, turning away. "We have heard that your father was a knight in the Imperial Army."

Siegfried faltered, then looked toward him, knowing it to be true. The emperor turned to him.

"If you let this continue, the empire your father died to protect will be lost. You will be betraying the hope entrusted by him. And you would lose what you hold dear, yet again."

Siegfried looked toward Barbaros, sudden hatred flaring up inside him. He knew that it was the holy sword that made Barbaros like that, and saw a small blue jewel in his forehead, and knew it had to be Soul Calibur. Sooner or later, Barbaros would try to destroy Soul Edge. Siegfried would never let that monster get anywhere near his sword. On his back, he thought he felt Soul Edge hum in agreement, but it was probably his imagination.

"You think us unfair? But this is what an emperor must do," Masked Emperor went on, "We will do anything to protect our people. In order to be an emperor, there are obligations one must take." The Masked Emperor looked at him. "Now, we will ask you yet again. Gather the shards of Soul Edge and resurrect it. Only the resurrected Soul Edge can defeat Barbaros."

Soul Edge hummed on his back. _Resurrect me, and I shall grant you the power you desire,_ Soul Edge said in his head. Siegfried thought for a second. Only a second.

"Once he's defeated, I will do as I please."

"Very well. Iska, present yourself." Out of the shadows came a boy about the same age as Siegfried, wearing purple boots and a yellow tunic, with purple sleeves. He had white hair, and when Siegfried looked closely, he saw that Iska's eyes were different colors, the left red, and the right blue. They each burned with an intensity Siegfried rarely saw in a human being.

"Yes, my liege?" Iska said, getting on one knee and bowing graciously.

The Masked Emperor looked back toward Siegfried. "Iska shall go with you. You have two months." Masked Emperor looked back at Iska, "With our very lives," he added dramatically."

Iska stood up and gestured to the door. "Well, let's go," he said, smiling, and walked towards the door. Siegfried followed. The next thing he knew, they were on horses that rode like the wind, and could cover large distances in a short amount of time. While on the road, Iska continued to be social with Siegfried.

"Well, it's an honor to meet you, Sir Knight. And that should be enough for the formalities. I'm Iska, the court jester under the emperor."

"I just want to get this done," Siegfried said, sitting stiffly straight in the saddle.

"Oh, come on," Iska leaned back until he was lying on his horse with his legs crossed, playing with the reins. "I promise I'll get some useful intelligence, so let's try to be friends!"

Siegfried rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."

For the first time since he'd met him, Iska frowned. "So, anyway… you were chosen by Soul Edge? Aren't you a little young?"

"What!"

"Hey now, don't get mad. The world changed because of that sword. You saw Barbaros, right? And you're wondering how a giant like that could exist. He gained power from the spirit sword, Soul Calibur, the counterpart to your Soul Edge." Iska was silent, waiting for an answer, but Siegfried was silent. "The cursed sword, Soul Edge, and the spirit sword, Soul Calibur…" A dreamy look entered Iska's eyes. "When those two swords appear, the laws of men no longer apply." His eyes seemed to focus in again. "To fight what is outside the laws of man, you must use what is also outside those laws. The world we are about to travel in is different from the world you were born in.

"So let's get going. I've already got something I want you to do. And I have someone to meet as well. This is a new world that we will be fighting in. First stop, the Pyrenees Trail! Let's go!" Iska rode ahead, and sighing, Siegfried rode after him.

"It's getting late, the message should have arrived." Iska said, pacing, obviously angry. They had pitched a tent in a dusty canyon near the Pyrenees Trail.

"Those who think highly of themselves are usually late," Siegfried commented to Iska. Iska scowled. "I don't like him already."

"Oh, come on. She's also after the shards of Soul Edge. You're on the same team."

"She? This person's a woman?" Siegfried said in disbelief.

Iska frowned. "You have a problem with that?"

Siegfried hung his head. "… No…"

"Good. Well, it seems like she's not gonna be here for a while. Guess we'll have to do it ourselves. The army's supply units were attacked several times by Evils. This is a major blow to the Empire. The Pyrenees are strategically vital because they join the Empire and the kingdom of Spain. Both are under his majesty's rule. We can't lose this station. That's why we want you to clean up evils and secure a support trail."

"What does that have to do with Soul Edge's shards?"

"Now, now. To tell you the truth, the goal of this mission is to see what you are really capable of."

"In other words, you don't trust me yet."

"So I called another hunter."

Siegfried shook his head and sighed. "…Fine…"

"All right, let's go! Actually, you go. I'm going to trail behind and watch, me being without a weapon and all." This did not help Siegfried's mood.

When the mission finally began, they had left the canyon and were in a forest. Well, Siegfried was. Iska was nowhere to be seen. Siegfried ran forward, slicing ferns and trees that got in his way. When the skeletons began to attack, a simple thrust was all it took to destroy them. But when he sustained three hits across the back, all of them denting his armor, he let loose. Soul Edge glowed, fueled by his anger, and a large ring appeared around Siegfried. With a loud cry, Siegfried swung his sword, and all the evils collapsed on the ground. Puzzled once again, Siegfried exited the scorched area and continued on his way, meeting up with little opposition.

When a large amount of Evils finally came, he was almost glad. But these weren't just skeletons this time. These were strange hybrids that were like lizards, but walked like a human. Upon doing battle with three of them, Siegfried learned that they bit, slashed, lunged, and breathed fire. However, stabbing, slicing, and decapitation are very effective.

It continued like this for at least an hour, and he encountered new "friends": a rock golem, which was easily destroyed but very strong, and a plant… thing. It had no definite shape, and was not easily destroyed, as it continued to grow when it had been sliced.

He encountered many barrels along the path, and after a while, exited the forest and entered the mountains. He was now high above the Empire, and still climbing. He saw clouds below. To fall would be a tragic end to the story.

Luckily, many carpenters had somehow carved bridges out of the rock for him to cross, and they easily supported him, his armor, and the remains of his foes. After a while, he reached a large circular arena-like area, with steep cliffs on all sides. Two walls flared up: one behind him, a red one, and one in front, a blue one. They separated him from the trail, but left the cliff completely open and accessible. As much as he hated being trapped, he decided this exit was out of the question.

He saw a small dot flying in the distance, and growing larger. It went straight up and disappeared from sight, and all was silent for a moment. Then it came crashing down, making cracks in the floor, and it was a large, hideous green dragon. It had green horns all across its face, and large jagged claws that could easily puncture Siegfried's armor. It roared loudly and threateningly, and Siegfried got ready for a fight, swinging Soul Edge around to prepare himself.

The dragon breathed fire, but Siegfried nimbly jumped out of the way, slashing its paws in two different places, the scales resisting his blow. He attacked again, striking as hard as he could on the leg, but with some sparks, the sword bounced off. Siegfried was swiped at by one enormous paw, and was sent flying, almost off the edge. He skidded to a stop just before, however, and stood up. The dragon's weak points were clear: its eye, and its stomach. He rushed at it and tried to slide underneath, but it lowered its head and smashed his Siegfried into the air toward the cliff. He stuck Soul Edge in the rock, but this time he was hanging over the edge. He struggled to stand up, but the dragon was faster. It raised one claw, and…

A flaming chain with a spike on the end flew out, and struck the dragon in the eye. Hard. Screeching with pain, the dragon took off and disappeared. Siegfried pulled himself up onto the ledge, breathing hard, and looked at the white-haired woman, maybe in her twenties, standing in front of him in a purple jumpsuit, wielding an extendable sword. Grunting, he stood up, and saw Iska say something, then thrust his hand through the red wall, and open up the passage.

"Ivy, you're late!" Iska yelled as he ran towards them.

"I just wanted to see how well that boy would do," Ivy replied casually. She had a deep voice, and her sword retracted back into itself when she snapped it up. She sheathed it, and they began walking toward the exit.

"Give him a break, Ivy," Iska said, sounding annoyed, then curious. "What did you think?"

"I guess he's all right," Ivy commented, and then smirked. "Too bad he's a little young for me."

Iska rolled his eyes. "Would you get serious?"

Ivy shrugged. "Well, I must admit, I didn't think a boy like him would be chosen by Soul Edge,"

Iska was the one smirking now. "Are you jealous, Ivy?"

"Of course. After all, I have been after that sword for years. I would actually love to take it away from him right now." Her eyes turned to Siegfried, as if sizing him up, and then to Soul Edge, and Siegfried saw true envy in her eyes. She really did want Soul Edge.

"Remember your promise, Ivy," Iska said, sounding guarded.

"I know. I will help you until Barbaros is defeated," She said blandly, as if repeating something exceedingly annoying. Then a mischievous look entered her eyes. "But after that I will do as I please." Her eyes went to Siegfried again. "I'm sure it will be easy to take it from a boy like him."

Siegfried was getting tired of this. He drew Soul Edge, swung it around a few times, and then thrust the blade into the ground, and leaned on it. "If you want it," he said, then drew Soul Edge from the ground. "Then come and get it." He pointed the tip at Ivy, and summoned some energy just to show off a little. The sword glowed a sinister red, and Siegfried saw fear register in Iska's eyes.

"Hey, calm down!" Iska said, sounding worried. Siegfried smirked and sheathed Soul Edge once again. "Anyway, Soul Edge is just an old sword until it's resurrected. We can talk about it after we defeat Barbaros."

"Fine," Ivy and Siegfried said at the same time, visibly lowering their guards.

"Great! That's settled, then. Siegfried, like you, Ivy is searching for Soul Edge's shards by Imperial command."

Glancing over, Iska noticed that in the attack, large boulders had fallen and covered the exit. Groaning, almost in boredom, Siegfried drew Soul Edge, and said something along the lines of "I'll handle this," and walked toward the wall.

When he was gone, Ivy turned to Iska.

"By the way, Iska, that Evil back there was a Guardian," she whispered.

"I know. That's why I wanted to call you back. I finally have a plan to defeat it," was Iska's hushed reply.

"I've also got some information, but I can't be sure how accurate it is," Ivy replied.

Iska sounded excited. "Really?"

There was a red light and an explosion behind them, and they both looked back just in time to see Siegfried blast apart the barricade with one of Soul Edge's hidden powers. He was getting good with those.

"I'll show you. Come on," she said, and started walking toward the now-clear entrance.

"Nice job, Ivy. You're good," Iska said, following her. Then he detached, and walked over to a drained-looking Siegfried.

"Siegfried," Iska said, and Siegfried looked at him, breathing heavily. "You saw that huge Evil back there, right?" This earned him an 'of course I did' look that he brushed off. "It's a monster that annihilated thousands of soldiers in the Imperial Army. We call Evils like those 'Guardians'.

"Like the name implies, they guard the shards of Soul Edge. That's why we're going to work together going after them. We'll take the shards after defeating them. Now let's go. You choose where we go first," and with that, Iska pulled a map out of his pocket and showed it to Siegfried. Siegfried was silent as he looked at the map.

"You know what I mean by the world changing, right? The world can easily be changed by altering one of its roots. Now, we can go to the Zenon Mansion in northwestern Europe, or the Amonn Temple in northern Africa," Iska said, pointing at two different places on the map.

"Amonn Temple? Never heard of it." Siegfried said.

Iska shrugged. "Probably because I said the name wrong. We'll have to go there eventually, but it's your choice."

Siegfried was silent for a moment, then Ivy came back. She was scoping out the area ahead, apparently.

"Have you seen where we're?" she asked him, then saw the map and the puzzled expression on his face. "Pick the Mansion," she said.

Siegfried shrugged, and closed the map. "Zenon Mansion it is," he said, and started back through the jungle for the horses.

Hey, guys. Rex here. Don't forget to rate the story!


	4. Zenon Mansion

Chapter 3:

**Zenon Mansion**

Siegfried stood, staring straight up, trying to imagine how long it would've taken to build this place. "Mansion" really wasn't doing this place justice… it was more like a small country.

"What?" Iska asked, somehow oblivious to the sheer size of the place. Ivy seemed just as indifferent.

"Nothing…" Siegfried said. Shaking his head, he sliced through the biggest front door he had ever seen. There Iska stopped them.

"You know how all over the world there are legends about dragons?" he said, with a 'I'm gonna teach you something' voice. "They all came from one source. Basically," he began to pace, "A story about one monster became a legend in many different regions. The Guardian we are after is that monster." Mumbling, with a tinge of hate and malice Siegfried had never heard before from Iska, he said "The Guardian Fafnir is a dragon that slaughtered thousands of soldiers in the Imperial army. Now that you've fought him once, you can see how impossible it is to defeat him, unless he's on the ground." With this, Iska became his own cheery self again. "We can't do any damage to him with a sword once he takes flight."

"And this is good news?" Siegfried said sarcastically.

Ignoring him, Iska went on, saying "We'll need a weapon that will shoot him down from the air. And I've finally found someone who's developed a weapon that will shoot him down! He's a world-renowned artist, a genius. He's also a famous scientist. It was rumored that he'd died, but apparently he's in London."

"Really?" Ivy said, sounding interested for once. She began strapping on a golden gauntlet and arm pad, with wicked claws.

"Aren't you from London, Ivy?" Iska asked. Ivy nodded. "Have you ever heard of the Zenon Mansion before now?"

"Yes. It's the mansion that is said to be inhabited by many alchemists."

"Yes, it's the house where the French alchemist, Nicholas Flamel, and Zenon the Italian lived." With a tinge of sadness, he added, "Though, nowadays, it's completely overrun by Evils." He shook his head. "Anyway, according to my informants, that scientist is living there."

"A genius scientist…" Siegfried mumbled, kicking the dust on the floor up.

But Iska, apparently, wasn't done. "So, let's go and rid that house of all the Evils! And I'll look for the scientist when you're done…"

They started in a large room with an ornate fireplace, along with thick marble walls, floors, and chimney. Siegfried immediately, with an almost childish glee, began smashing pots. They soon ran into more skeletons, however, which ruined Siegfried's fun. Ivy and Siegfried began a small war, seeing who could beat more skeletons. Siegfried had a strength advantage, and could smash them with a single blow, whereas Ivy had a reach with her sword that snaked past Siegfried (when he wasn't using the demonic powers) and killed the enemies in front before Siegfried could get to them. After twenty rooms, it was a tie.

They ran into archers, with a reach longer than Ivy's, but in the close quarters, were no match for the pair. They wandered aimlessly, with Iska nowhere in sight, and fought for hours, not knowing where to go, until at last they reached a room larger than the rest, full of golems armed with maces and archers. Ivy immediately went for the archers, while Siegfried outmatched the golems in speed, skill, and strength, though they were twice his size. Soon, the room was clear, and Iska appeared once more.

"We got rid of all the Evils!" he said happily.

"We?" Siegfried and Ivy said at the same time.

"You. You got rid of all the evils." Iska corrected himself.

Ivy and Siegfried looked at each other for a moment, then Siegfried stepped forward and asked, "Iska, did you find that scientist?"

Iska faltered for a moment, then slumped. "No…"

Ivy looked annoyed for a moment, then saw the door start to creek open once more. Getting ready to draw her weapon, she said, "Siegfried! Iska! Look!"

"What?" the boys said at the same time. Then, an old man with very long, white hair, a white moustache, and a long white beard walked into the room, wearing a dark red hat and a turquoise-colored fur coat. He had on a dirty, white shirt under the coat, and a leather band around his left wrist.

"So, you got rid of all the Evils." The newcomer said, striding towards them, his footsteps echoing. "It seems I'm in your debt."

"Who are you?" Iska asked.

"Where did you come from?" Siegfried said, walking over to meet him in the middle of the room.

The old man smiled. "There are many devices in this house. I was hiding in the cellar."

"Are you Leonardo?" Iska asked, taking a step forward. Ivy stood with a hand on her hip, watching the exchange.

"Yes, I am," the old man said. "I thought I was dead to the outside world. Did you come here for a reason?"

"Yes." Siegfried said, surprising Iska. "Are you the one that can shoot down a dragon?"

An incredulous look crossed Leonardo DaVinci's face. "Shoot down a dragon?" he said, with some trepidation.

Iska walked over to Leonardo and Siegfried, his boots more like moccasins, making nothing but a muffled thud. "Yeah, a weapon they say you developed. We need it to defeat the Guardian, Fafnir."

"Oh, that thing…" Leonardo said, looking embarrassed. He obviously knew what they had been talking about the whole time. "I did build it professing that it could shoot down dragons, but…"

Iska started to look annoyed. "But, what?"

"Well… it was only theoretical. I have no proof it can actually do that." He chuckled a little. "After all, I have never actually encountered a dragon." Getting serious again, he began to stroke his beard. "However, if I say that my weapon can slay a dragon," he pounded his chest with his right arm, "then it has the power to do so!"

Everyone but Leonardo rolled their eyes.

"It should have more than enough power to kill an Evil…" he said, then seeing the looks on their faces, corrected himself. "It should at least shoot one to the ground."

Ivy drew her weapon, and smiled. "That should be just fine. I'm sorry, but we need you to come with us."

Seeing the blade, Leonardo raised his eyebrows. "I suppose I have no choice in the matter?"

"You suppose correctly."

Iska stepped between Ivy and Leonardo. "Ivy, stop being so mercenary." He turned to Leonardo. "We're under direct orders from his majesty, the emperor.

Leonardo sighed, then gave in. "Oh, all right. I can't ignore the suffering of others anyway." Ivy looked at him. "What? I am human, after all."

Iska nodded his head. "I thank you on behalf of the emperor. All right, let's hurry up and cross the channel."

Iska walked out the door. "Right," Ivy said, and followed him. Siegfried was about to follow, when Leonardo grabbed his arm.

"Wait," Leonardo said.

"What?" Siegfried said, sounding impatient. He didn't like being last.

"That sword. It's Soul Edge, isn't it?" Siegfried nodded, knowing where this conversation was going. "You'd best not rely too heavily on that sword, young man. Power can never truly recover or protect anything."

Siegfried sighed. "I beg to differ. Don't lecture me."

Iska poked his head back into the room. "Hey, Siegfried! What are you doing? Let's go!"


	5. Cyprus Arena

Chapter 4:

**Cyprus Arena**

As they rode, Iska talked.

"The Guardian is based at the old city cathedral in the far north. The cathedral itself has been sealed, and no one has set foot in it since the Swedes conquered their neighbors, the Finns, three hundred years ago."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Even I know that. Is that the extent of your information network?"

Iska suddenly got riled up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ivy, completely ignoring him, reached into her pack, and picked up water canteen. She took a long drink. "I found the key to the cathedral."

Iska seemed happy again. "Really!"

Ivy shrugged. I acquired information that it is here in Cyprus, home of the eastern fortress of the Republic of Venice. Apparently, when the former King of Sweden visited the island…" she chuckled here, "he lost it on a bet at the tournament."

Iska shook his head. "Nobles are so stupid."

"Masked Emperor included?" Siegfried said, poking fun at Iska.

"What? No! I just— never mind." Iska stopped himself. "But Cyprus is located next to the Ottoman Empire, controlled by Barbaros. It's already under the control of Evils."

Siegfried yawned. "Then all we need to do is destroy them and take it."

"Well, aren't you all fired up?" Ivy said sarcastically, smirking at Siegfried. When she saw he was ignoring her remark, she stopped smiling and said "But the boy is right." Seeing the target in the distance, she spurred her horse on to even greater speeds. "Let's go!" she called to the others.

As soon as they walked into the arena (sans Iska) they were attacked by strange, purple tigers and stone golems about the size of Siegfried. He hurled his strength at them, crumbling them to dust, while Ivy shot her sword across the room, burning the tigers before they died. When a tiger came up behind her, she saw it, and pressed a button the hilt of her sword. The chain retracted into the hilt, the spikes on the chain coming together to form a red-hot sword. She turned and stabbed through the tiger, then, pushing another button, the sword extended again, whipping around the corrupted animal. It turned to dust after it died, and she was surprised to see the rest do the same. She had thought the dust was the remains of the golems, but apparently all the Evils turned to dust after they were killed.

They moved forward, fighting their way easily through wave after wave of evils. They walked along bridges overlooking deep gorges, for the arena rose into the sky, and they continued to climb up it. They encountered more and more rock golems, with lots of archers and a manner of creature they had never seen before, that seemed to shoot bolts of energy out of a staff, teleporting from one corner of the room to another. They finally reached the top, and were met by an enormous golem. Iska looked at Siegfried.

"Not even you can break that thing's armor. It's too big."

Siegfried grunted, then walked towards the monster. "Don't have to," he called over his shoulder, and with the flat of his blade, released a strong blast of energy through the sword and into the monster, smacking it several feet back.

And right over the edge of the cliff.

When Siegfried hit the golem, a panel on the floor protected by a blue barrier opened, and Ivy reached in and pulled out a long, cylindrical rock with notches along the sides and writing in a language she couldn't understand. Iska walked into the room at this moment.

"So, this is the key to the old city cathedral," Ivy said.

"A cathedral that's been sealed for three hundred years." Siegfried added, sheathing Soul Edge. The eye looked at Siegfried, and he could feel its thirst for blood. But he couldn't restore it yet. Not yet.

Iska waltzed over to Ivy. "You know, that reminds me of a story my sister told me a long time ago…" He faltered, and Siegfried saw a sadness enter his eyes. But still he continued. "When the Swedish army invaded, a force lead by the warrior Sigurd barricaded themselves in a cathedral in Turku." He hung his head. "They fought the Swedes until their last man fell. After that, the Swedes sealed the cathedral fearing the Sigurd's curse." He stood still and silent for a moment, then whispered "I really miss my sister's stories…"

They were all silent for several minutes while Iska regained his composure.

Iska stood back up finally. "We now have the weapons we need to destroy the Guardian Fafnir, and the key to get close enough to use the weapons. I guess this is it."

Leonardo walked into the room just then. "It will be interesting to see how many weapons work…"

"I thought you knew how it would work!" Siegfried said. He did not want to fight that thing again unless he had a weapon that could hurt it.

As always, Iska ignored him. "I didn't think you would be so excited, old man."

"Of course I'm excited!" Leonardo said with a smile. "My weapons are going to kill a dragon! … Probably kill a dragon, anyway…"

Iska was silent for a moment. "I see…"

Siegfried glared at DaVinci.

Iska walked over to Siegfried and grabbed his arm, starting to drag him away. "All right, Siegfried. That's enough. Let's head to the old city cathedral. I'm sure Barbaros is still headed for Vienna even now. Let's go defeat Fafnir and get back the shard of Soul Edge!"

"Can we sleep first? We haven't had a rest yet!" Ivy complained.

"I agree with her for once. We should also feed and rest the horses."

Iska started walking away. "After we climb down the three hundred foot structure."

Leonardo groaned. "Those stairs are going to kill my joints. I'm an old man, Iska!"

Ivy looked over at Leonardo. "How did you get up here in the first place?"


	6. The First Shard

Chapter 5:

**The First Shard**

They dismounted in front of the Old Cathedral. Iska immediately looked to Leonardo.

"Sorry for bringing you all this way."

Leonardo pulled his jacket around him. "This weather is harsh on an old man like me."

Iska turned away and whistled at the cathedral. "So, this is the old cathedral. The place where the warrior Sigurd made his last stand."

Leonardo looked to Siegfried. "About Dragon Slayers…"

Siegfried interrupted him. "'Dragon Slayers'?"

"The weapons!" Leonardo said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I named them after an ancient weapon. _I_ think it's a marvelous name."

"You would," Siegfried mumbled under his breath.

Iska was silent.

"I don't know about your naming sense…" Ivy said.

"Now, hold on!" Leonardo stopped. "I'm a genius, you know!"

"Aaaaanywaaayy…" Iska said.

Leonardo sighed. "We can only set them up at the top of the tower beyond the cathedral." As he said this, he pointed to an enormous tower, towering high into the air, almost touching the clouds. "But the tower is surrounded by Evils. I doubt we can get them up there. And even if you can, you're doing it alone. I'm not climbing those stairs."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

Siegfried finally broke the silence. "Not a problem. I'll… distract them."

"I think that's the only possible solution." Leonardo confirmed.

Ivy leaned over next to Siegfried and whispered into his ear. "By 'distract' you mean 'obliterate', right?"

"Of course," he whispered back.

Iska interrupted them. "All right. Then, Leonardo and I will head to the roof from a different route." Leonardo looked at Iska. Iska sighed. "Fine. I'll carry all that stuff up there alone. Then I'll set it up at the top. All you have to do is defeat Fafnir with the Dragon Slayers."

"Oh, is that all…" Siegfried mumbled.

Ivy ignored him. "Just leave it to us. It shouldn't be a problem for us to defeat Fafnir and take Soul Edge's shard."

Iska started running towards the back of the cathedral with one of the horses in tow. "All right, let's go! Just go blow something up to get their attention!"

Siegfried smiled.

Ivy and Siegfried ran into the cathedral, causing total carnage, destroying everything they could get near. They encountered some lizard-men, some skeletons, some golems, and some archers, but none of them could stand a chance. Then, they came into a room that was different from the others. The next room was larger than the others. In the other side of the room was an altar, slightly raised above everything else. There were two large stone podiums there, and in one was thrust an old sword.

When Siegfried walked onto the altar, Soul Edge began to hum with anger. Siegfried took a step towards the sword in the rock, and was rewarded by Soul Edge with a small shock. Siegfried walked into the next room.

"What was that about?" Ivy asked.

"Must've been a holy sword. Don't really like holy swords."

They continued fighting their way through the cathedral, on and on. Finally, they reached a set of stairs that led up to a large, circular area. The top of the tower. Placed evenly apart, the four Dragon Slayers were enormous crossbows set up, armed, and ready for use.

Siegfried and Ivy walked on opposite sides of the center dais, each wary of everything. Then, a strong wind blew in from the east. When Siegfried looked, the clouds were red. Barbaros's empire. He sighed. No dragons were here. A roar startled him, and with another strong wind, Fafnir the Dragon, the same monster from earlier landed on the center dais, and breathed fire at him. He nimbly dodged aside, his heavy armor scraping the marble floor. Fafnir turned and tried to swipe at him with its claws. Siegfried jumped over the paw, then slid under the dragon and sliced at the soft underbelly. Likewise, when this was happening, Ivy jumped onto Fafnir's tail and ran up his back, striking at his face. Enraged, Fafnir roared and shook Ivy off, and hit Siegfried with its tail. With its powerful wings, it jumped into the sky and flew around the tower, breathing fire at it.

Siegfried and Ivy each walked over to a Dragon Slayer, lighting the enormous arrows on fire for good measure. When Fafnir got near, ivy loosed a shaft, and hit Fafnir square in the chest. Roaring in pain, it tried to fly away, but Siegfried shot one through the wing, catching the soft inner tissue ablaze. The wing quickly grew a large hole, and Fafnir was forced to turn around and land on the tower. Ivy shot her sword out, again stabbing Fafnir in the eye. The Guardian shrieked in pain, and reared up on its hind legs to smash Ivy, exposing the arrow that was still stuck in its stomach. Siegfried, running forward, smashed into the arrow's back with his shoulder, driving it in deeper. Fafnir bellowed, and then with one final blow, Siegfried released all his energy into the dragon's chest. A large hole was now where the monster's heart should have been. The dragon gave a faint roar, then collapsed, and was still. A small, cylindrical red rock floated away from the dragon's body and hit Soul Edge, releasing red sparks and energy. Siegfried could feel the power of the sword grow, even after just one shard. He liked it.

"So this is the power of Soul Edge!" he said, swiping through the air experimentally. The sword was even sharper, if it was possible, and a light wind seemed to come off of Siegfried thanks to his newfound power. Energy surged for a few seconds, then the sword calmed. It wasn't complete yet. Not by a long shot.

When Ivy and Siegfried had reached the bottom of the tower, Siegfried walked over to Leonardo and Iska. Siegfried smiled. "So this is Soul Edge's shard… Ha! Soul Edge is filled with power!"

Leonardo's face was grim. "Then you've done it, boy."

Siegfried ignored the 'boy' comment. "Yes, I have!"

Then it was Leonardo's turn to smile. "And my Dragon Slayers actually slew a dragon."

"Good for you, Leonardo." Ivy was sarcastic. "They certainly lived up to that ridiculous name."

Iska kicked the dirt. "It was hell to set them up, though."

"True." Leonardo said as if he would know. "But it was a magnificent thing to witness this late in life."

Ivy started walking towards Leonardo. "Leonardo…"

The old man interrupted her. "Well, I'll be taking my leave now." He talked over his shoulder as he walked towards his horse. "Come and see me again if you need help defeating the Guardians. There are still Evils on the second floor of Zenon Mansion, but I'm sure I'll manage." He mounted his horse.

"Thank you," Siegfried whispered quietly.

Leonardo looked down at the knight who owned the Cursed Sword. "I don't like sentimental good-byes. By the way, young man, be watchful of that sword."

"I will. The power of Soul Edge after it absorbed the shard… I can feel it. The sword's might." Leonardo grunted and rode off towards London.

"Really?" Ivy asked.

Iska finally spoke up. "You're right. I don't know much about fighting, but I feel a great evil coming from that sword." He sighed. "All right, I guess we should go back to his highness for now."

They all turned and walked towards their horses, when they saw another one in the distance.

"Is Leonardo coming back already?" Ivy asked.

When the horse got closer, they found it was a young boy, maybe ten or eleven, wearing squire's armor.

Iska took a step forward and helped him dismount. "Joachim, what are you doing here?"

He looked very relieved, and worried at the same time. "Lord Iska, Siegfried! I finally found you!"

The boy seemed to be in such a fit of hysterics that Iska grabbed him by the shoulders. "Joachim, what's wrong? Calm down, calm down."

Joachim didn't calm down. "Barbaros is on the move. Vienna is currently under siege by the army of the Ottoman Empire." Their jaws dropped. "His majesty wants you to return at once."

Siegfried was not happy. "Damn! It's too soon!"

Iska was grim. "I guess the Imperial army is more trouble than we thought. Let's go back, now." Siegfried was obviously reluctant. "It must be pretty dire for his majesty to ask for help. We can't let Vienna fall!"

They all mounted their horses (Joachim included) and rode towards Vienna. There was no time to lose.


	7. The Protection of Vienna

Chapter 6:

**The Protection of Vienna**

They were greeted outside the palace by his majesty himself. "So you've returned, Siegfried."

Siegfried went straight to the point. "How are things going?"

Masked Emperor responded just as quickly. "We are heading out to battle now. Iska will update you on the situation." The Masked Emperor jumped onto Ivy's horse.

"Hey, wait!" Siegfried said, running towards the horses.

"We will command the seventh battalion." A wave of about thirty men in armor came out of the stables, leading their horses across the scarce grass and dirt. "Form up quickly! We will attack from the enemy's right!"

Then, Siegfried saw that snoot, Michael. The knight walked toward the Emperor, his chin up, his nose high in the air. "Your highness, the men are ready!"

The Emperor seemed pleased. "Ah, Michael. All right, the seventh battalion is with us!"

Michael bowed. "Yes, my liege! Come, Bernd! Joachim!" The boy from earlier strode hesitantly forward and a strange-looking knight with short, brown hair, a strange, unruly moustache, and a suit of armor. His breastplate had red markings on it, the markings of the Emperor, and his gauntlets had claws. There were spikes on his large, silver shoulder pads, and one spike on the back of each gauntlet.

The strange night, apparently Bernd, saluted. "Yes, captain!" and marched ahead of Joachim. Joachim had to jog to keep up.

"P-please wait for me!"

Iska joined Siegfried once again as the others rode away. "I guess it must be really bad since his majesty is heading out into the battle himself…" Iska looked worried. "We don't have much time. I'll make this brief. The main fighting is still outside the castle walls." He began pacing. "But our defense line is crumbling, and enemy soldiers are starting to penetrate the castle walls. We only have a bare minimum of soldiers inside the walls, so this is where you come in." He turned to Siegfried and stopped. "There are three gates to the inner ramparts: Central, East, and West. If they get through any of these, it's all over for the empire. We want you to guard them at all costs. We're counting on you!" Siegfried grunted and mounted his horse.

He looked down at Ivy, who was sitting on the stairs looking bored. "What about you, Ivy? You coming?"

Ivy looked up, and thought about it for a second. Then she stood up. "Eh, what the hell," she said to herself. She jumped up on Iska's horse, and the warriors rode off towards the gates. They didn't ride far, though, for soon Evils began attacking and they were forced to leave their horses. There were more Evils in one place than Siegfried and Ivy had ever seen, of all different kinds. Lizard-men, gargoyles, golems, skeletons, with Iska's voice in the distance.

"The west gate is getting overpowered!" Iska's voice echoed through the battlefield. The two began killing faster. "Go help the west gate! Hurry!"

Then Bernd's voice began rolling over the fight area. "Damn it, they've broken through!"

"Can anyone get to the rear?" Michael's voice washed over them. They began killing with frenzy. This situation was not good. Forget protecting the gates—it was all they could do just to get away from the castle.

Joachim was now answering. "Siegfried is headed in that direction!" Siegfried, as if in answer, laid waste to five rock golems in one strike while Ivy decapitated some more skeletons.

"Siegfried? Who is that?" Michael asked. Now Siegfried was mad. The little—he forgot all about him! Another swift strike from Siegfried opened a wall of Evils that was trying to block their path, sending them flying away, dust on the wind.

Bernd was now talking. "I've never heard of him!"

"It seems he receives orders directly from the emperor." Joachim again.

"Is he reliable?" Michael asked. Iska's voice was silent.

Joachim's voice was about to answer when Michael interrupted him. "Damn it, they've broken through again! How are things going in the rear?"

Joachim answered. "They haven't gotten through the gate yet, but there are thousands of them! Siegfried is doing very well!"

Bernd's voice again. "I didn't think we'd need help from a kid." Ivy smirked, and Siegfried obliterated a massive golem with a single blow. This was starting to take its toll on his energy. "Just shows how well we're doing."

The Evils were fighting well, and getting better, but were still no match for the two warriors. They sliced through hundreds of them, and just when they thought that all the Evils in the area were gone, Joachim's voice came through. "Look at that army…" Siegfried and Ivy could see it now, a massive, writhing massive of bodies, climbing over each other to get to the top of the pile and the battle zone.

"Damn monsters!" Bernd yelled, and there was a large crunching sound.

Michael's voice was now strained. "Don't pull back! Hold the line! Erg!"

"Commander, there's no end in sight! We have to retreat!" Joachim pleaded with Michael.

"Don't give up, you fool!" Bernd called out. "Damn kids these days."

Iska's voice rose up once again. "The central gate is in trouble! Hurry to the central gate!" Ivy and Siegfried began killing in that direction.

There was a small explosion, then Michael's voice. "What's the status of the gates?"

"They're holding out for now." Joachim answered.

"Don't let the emperor's pet get all the glory!" Bernd shouted.

Ivy turned to Siegfried in mid-strike, putting a golem in a headlock. "So you're a pet now? Want a biscuit?" As in answer, Siegfried roared, releasing a massive strike of Soul Edge's energy. An entire battalion of Evils fell in front of him. Ivy whistled, and kept her mouth shut.

"Show them the will of the imperial army!" Bernd shouted out.

"Damn, they're coming!" Joachim shouted.

"You! Don't just stand there! Fight!" Michael shouted.

"All you do is give orders…" Joachim said unwisely.

"What did you say?" Michael sounded furious.

Bernd's voice again. "They're breaking through!"

Michael was mad. "Stop them! Do something!"

Joachim seemed to be the only reasonable one. "Commander, there's nothing we can do!"

"What's going on?" Bernd shouted.

"There's just no way!" Joachim yelled in awe. There was a lot of screaming just then, and what sounded like thunder.

Michael was obviously both angry and frightened. "Damn Barbaros!"

At the mention of his name, Ivy and Siegfried began a joint attack that killed twenty lizard men, five golems, and fifteen skeletons. When the bodies turned to dust, the way was once again clear for them to run through.

They were relieved for a moment, then Bernd said "They're hanging off the gates!"

"Damn!" Michael again. "Someone clear off the enemies on the gate!"

Joachim was still being reasonable. "There's just no way. We must retreat!"

Michael wasn't going to surrender. "Don't give up! Take your position!"

Bernd's voice was strained. "It's looking pretty grim." It was. More and more were coming. It was all they could do to move forward. Archers, golems, skeletons… They were everywhere. Finally, after a long and arduous battle, Siegfried could see Michael, Joachim, Bernd, and five other soldiers trying to hold off a wall of Evils. Of course, Michael was standing behind the others, shouting orders. Siegfried jumped over the Imperials and slashed a hole in the Evils, turning many of them to dust. Ivy did the same, her sword extending and then whipping through everything like a scythe, cutting down all that was left of the evils. It was over.

Michael saw Siegfried at last, and strode past his bewildered men. "So, you're Siegfried. We did not need you to interfere."

Bernd walked up now, panting. "Leave the fighting to us. We don't need civilians in our way."

"Yes. You had better stand back the next time you are in the battlefield." He began walking away. Siegfried was shaking with anger. "Do you understand, boy?"

Bernd began following Michael. "War is not a playground!" He said over his shoulder and waltzed off. Siegfried was furious. Soul Edge, in his hands, responded to his anger and began to glow a bright red.

"Siegfried…" Ivy said, as if in warning, but Siegfried didn't listen. He raised Soul Edge into the air and then stuck it into the ground, releasing a massive bolt of energy that created a small crater about 10 feet wide, with cracks along the walls around him.

Iska walked up, ignoring Siegfried's anger. Michael walked right into him, as if just to anger him, and Iska glared. "I can't believe them. You probably saved their lives. I guess their pride as imperial soldiers won't let them accept an outsider. Anyway, let's go to see his majesty." They walked away, Siegfried in the back. He didn't sheath his sword.

When they found the Masked Emperor, he was standing in the middle of a bunch of tired-looking soldiers, the rest of his battalion. They must have split up.

The Masked Emperor looked at Siegfried. "So we were able to drive them back. Our soldiers praise you highly. You have our gratitude."

Siegfried was still mad. "I just did my job."

"Well, there is nothing wrong with humility. But Barbaros… we did not expect him to use Evils as his soldiers. This castle may not hold for much longer. The soldiers are exhausted as well. We must hurry." Siegfried turned and began walking away. He was done here. "Siegfried!" The masked emperor called. Siegfried turned around. "Resurrect Soul Edge at once. It is the only chance we have for survival. It is better to act and regret than regret doing nothing. Is that not right, Siegfried?"

Siegfried was silent.


	8. Altar of the Evil God

PART TWO:

TO PROTECT

Chapter 7:

**Altar of the Evil God**

Iska walked up to Siegfried. "You might think we're leaving all the shard collecting to you…" Siegfried looked at him. "…but we've also been busy. The empire has been sending hunting parties against the Guardians to get the shards. But they've all failed. Guns, cannons, nothing could defeat them. That's why we have to rely on you and Soul Edge. We're powerless against them. We've confirmed that there are four shards of Soul Edge. And there are four Guardians as well. The next Guardian is an Evil that resides in a temple in Egypt." Siegfried was surprised by the helpfulness of the Empire. So far as he was concerned, so far, all they did was tell him what to do and insult him. "No one came out alive. So watch yourself out there, Siegfried."

Siegfried nodded and started walking away. But Iska wasn't done. "Oh, I almost forgot. His majesty also ordered you to investigate another matter. He's a real slave driver. Anyway, you can decide which one you want to do first. There's the Amonn Temple, and the old cathedral."

Siegfried raised his eyebrows. "Again?"

Iska shrugged his shoulders. "All the Evils you've killed have not only been replaced by even more, but more powerful ones as well."

Siegfried groaned. This was getting nowhere. "All right. Let's be thorough. The old cathedral it is."

Iska smiled. "I was hoping we'd do that one. Did you know…" Siegfried sat down. "…that there is a passage that leads to the catacombs of the old city cathedral? The emperor's investigative team went in after we defeated Fafnir. But no one came back. There is a strange symbol on the door to the catacombs. It's similar to the emblem of the cult order of Fygul Cestemus. You see, the cult of Fygul Cestemus has been a problem within the empire for a while.

"They've kidnapped scores of people and set off explosions on the pretense that they are creating a golem."

Siegfried looked very bored. "I've killed lots of golems. No problem."

Iska was grave. "A very… big golem. Smart, too. The imperial army has been keeping an eye on them. We've even raided facilities run by the cult. Lately, they've been 'inciting' the public. They're saying the appearance of Evils marks the beginning of the Armageddon described in their doctrine. So the empire can't just leave them alone. And because of it, his majesty has ordered us to investigate the catacombs of the old city cathedral. Let's go. The fact that he's giving us more stuff to do means he trusts us!"

Ivy was bored as well. "Hurray for trust," she said sarcastically.

When they arrived at the old cathedral again, despite what Iska had said about a secret passageway, they still went in the front door. The Evils there seemed to have… grown stronger. Not strong enough to be a problem, of course. They mowed through the Evils, listening to Iska's echoing instructions, moving through the cathedral. Finally, Iska got lost, and Ivy and Siegfried had to split up. Ivy went on the door to the left; Siegfried went on the door to the right. They were going well on their own… for a while.

Then doors started dropping down in front of Siegfried. Big doors. He smashed through them, but it took a quite a bit of his energy. After five doors, he reached a place where the hall he'd been following widened into a chamber. In the chamber, a large golem lay on a metal operating table, lying diagonally. Standing upright beside it was a giant axe, and blue torches hung on the walls. Judging by the large sculptures on the walls, this was the cult's pride and joy.

It was muscle bound, wearing boots, iron braces, and an iron mask covering its mouth and nose, leaving only the eyes and a bald head visible. It had brown skin, and iron shoulder pads. It was also wearing what looked like iron short shorts. It also had a large, orange crystal coming out of its forehead, with orange scars coming out from the crystal that must have been painful.

Slowly, on its right hand, a finger moved. Then they all began moving, as if the golem was using them for the first time. It's eyes opened, orange eyes with no pupils at all. It stood up, revealing a ruby similar to the one on it's head, but looking more like a thin layer of skin had grown over it. It picked up the enormous axe easily, and leapt from the small altar it was on, landing with a loud boom, and shaking the room slightly.

"RRAAAAAHH!" it said, swinging the axe around, then getting into a fighting stance.

Siegfried charged the monster, ducking under it's first axe sweep. He stabbed up, and into the monster's chest… with no effect. The blade knocked the golem back, but didn't injure it at all.

"DISAPPEAR!" the golem yelled, jumping and swinging the axe down. Siegfried barely rolled out of the way, and then struck the ruby on the golem's forehead with his sword. The golem roared, and staggered backwards. A weak spot, it seemed. Coming at him again, the golem tried to smash Siegfried, but Siegfried had figured it out. Rolling out of the way, he jumped up and slammed his hilt down on the golem's head. When the golem staggered forwards, he ran around and sliced at the ruby on the golem's chest, then smashed the golem in the face with the flat of his blade. Screaming, the monster reared back, and Siegfried jumped into the air and stabbed down into the monster's chest. It just wasn't fast enough to defeat Siegfried, and lay there, panting and obviously in great pain.

At this point, Ivy and Iska burst into the room. They took in the situation at a glance, and Iska ran over to the altar. He stood there for a moment, then gestured to Siegfried.

"Hey, Siegfried, look at this book."

Siegfried walked over and glanced at it. "Wait… this is…" he shoved Iska out of the way and began poring over the book, "This has information about the Guardians!"

Iska was stunned. "What?"

Siegfried turned around, and was startled to see the golem was standing again. He got into a defensive position, and Iska took a step back. Ivy started running towards them.

"What… you…" the golem said, stuttering and struggling to get the words out.

"He's still alive?" Siegfried ran at the golem.

"Siegfried, wait!" Iska said. He walked towards the monster, his purple boots echoing on the stone floors. "Hey, what is this?" He asked the monster, pointing at the book.

"Those… made me…" the golem stuttered.

"Made you?" Iska said, confused.

"I was… made… Fy-Fygul Cestemus…"

"Fygul Cestemus!" Realization flashed across Iska and Ivy's faces. "Of course!"

Ivy stepped up. "I'd heard that they were attempting to create a golem, but I didn't know they'd succeeded… Though I had heard rumors that they were intensely researching Soul Edge and Evils." She turned to Iska. "Did they make this golem based on Evils, then?"

"This thing is the Cult's golem!" Iska said, gesturing to the monster.

"Ugh…" the golem said, and staggered.

Iska turned to Siegfried. "Siegfried, I think he could be useful. The fact that they can make golems from captured Evils means they've gotten pretty far researching Evils. If we follow the cult, we may find information about Evils and the Guardians. They must have cleared out of here pretty fast if they left this thing here." He thought for a moment, then said, almost to himself, "I guess they were eager to get out since we broke the seal to this place. Hey, you!" He walked back over to the golem. "Do you know where the others went?"

"Place… Asia. Mountain." The golem said.

"Do you know where that is?"

"Went once… know."

"All right, we won't destroy you this time. Take us there!"

The golem was silent.

Iska turned to Siegfried, a mischievous look in his eyes. "This thing must be a prototype. It's pretty stupid."

The golem lifted its arm quickly, punching Iska in the stomach. Iska doubled over, then fell on the ground. Siegfried and Ivy laughed at him.

"Hey, I like this guy!" Ivy said.

Iska staggered, then got up. "Come on, walk…" he said, and led the golem out of the cathedral.

"Hey, what's your name?" Ivy said as they walked.

The golem was silent for a moment. "Ast… Astaroth… Alpha."

Ivy shrugged. "Astaroth it is."


End file.
